System for drawing winners in a lottery

ABSTRACT

System for use of a microprocessor for drawing of winners in a lottery with an in advance given dividend, at which each lottery ticket includes at least one counter of bingo type with a number in rows and columns provided numbers as well as for the lottery ticket unique identification. The identification of each lottery ticket and number row of a counter are stored in a first register which is readable by a microprocessor, that a number of number sequences are created and stored in a second register which is readable by a microprocessor, in such a way that each of the number sequences is unique and gives a number of prize-winning rows of numbers among the counters, which number corresponds to the given dividend. One of the number sequences in the second register is selected by a random draw. The microprocessor compares this chosen number sequence with the number rows in the first register and shows the identification that indicates counters with a prize-winning row of numbers.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to a system for use of a microprocessor atdrawing of winners in a lottery with an in advance given dividend,whereby each lottery ticket includes at least one counter of bingo typewith a number of numbers provided in rows and columns as well as anidentification that is unique for the lottery ticket.

PRIOR ART

At conventional lotteries one simply draws prize tickets from the totalnumber of lottery tickets, until an in advance given number of prizetickets has been obtained. The results of such draws are published bymeans of lottery prize-list. A disadvantage of usual lotteries is thatthe excitement moment is short-lived.

Interactive games of bingo type engages the participants considerablymore and are therefore experienced as more exciting. A problem at gamesof bingo type is that the random draw of numbers gives an unpredictabledividend. It is true, that the dividend in long-term can bestatistically calculated, but the uncertainty is yet very big beforeeach individual draw.

THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM

The purpose of the invention is therefore to achieve a system that makesit possible to achieve an in advance given dividend at games of bingotype.

THE SOLUTION

For this object the invention is characterized in that theidentification of each lottery ticket and number row of a counter arestored in a first register which is readable by a microprocessor, that anumber of number sequences are created and stored in a second registerwhich is readable by a microprocessor, in such a way that each of thenumber sequences is unique and gives a number of prize-winning rows ofnumbers among the counters, which number corresponds to the givendividend, that one of the number sequences in the second register isselected by a random draw, and that the microprocessor compares thischosen number sequence with the number rows in the first register andshows the identifications that indicate counters with a prize-winningrow of numbers.

Advantageous variants of the invention are illustrated by the subsequentsubclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described here below withreference to the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 shows a Bingo-style lottery ticket with a counter in accordancewith one aspect of the invention, and

FIG. 2 shows a microprocessor with memory registers for operating alottery under the present invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The system according to the invention is based on the use of theconventional bingo-counter 10 for variation games, as shown in FIG. 1.Normally such a counter 10 includes 75 numbers distributed in fivecolumns 11-15 with 15 rows each, with numbers 1-15 in the first column11, 16-30 in the second column 12, 31-45 in the third column 13, 40-60in the fourth column 14, and 61-75 in the fifth column 15. The inventionis however not limited to this size, but can be modified regarding thenumber of rows and columns.

There are a total of 50,62.5 different ways to combine a bingo counterwith 75 numbers in the five columns 11-15. Each lottery ticket includesat least one of these counters 10. It can manageably be appropriate touse series of, for example, 10,000 lottery tickets per series. Then10,000 of the total number of bingo counters are selected. The countersare each printed and provided with an identification number 16, so thatevery lottery ticket in each series has a unique counter and a uniqueidentification number 16. If several series are present, for example,nine, there are therefore 90,000 lottery tickets with nine identicalcounter series and 90,000 different lottery ticket numbers 16.

Each lottery ticket number 16 in a series consequently represents aunique counter 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the lottery ticket numbers 16 andtheir respective counters 10 are stored in a first register 17 readableby a microprocessor 18.

Before each draw the prize plan shall be known. One can, for example,choose that there shall be 90 winners per 10,000 lottery tickets. Thedraw is carried out after sale is completed and before the presentationof the draw result. This presentation may, for example, be carried outon TV, in such a way that it seems as if the draw, being of bingocharacter, is done in the moment of broadcasting. The presentation canfurthermore be published in the daily press after the broadcasting.

In a second register 19 readable by a microprocessor 18, a number ofnumber sequences 20 are stored, which include 17-20 different numbersbetween 1 and 75. These number sequences are unique and constructedsuch, that they give an exact number of winners at the use of 10,000counters. To satisfy the demand of randomness the plurality of numbersequences may for example comprise 2,000 sequences.

The draw is carried out by randomly selecting a number sequence amongthe mentioned 2,000 in the second register 19. Thus it is an entirelyrandom sample that determines which 90 counters per series that arewinners.

After this draw a computer run takes place in which the selected numbersequence 20 is compared to the counters 10 in the first register 17. Inthis way winning lottery counter numbers 16 are successively puttogether until all winning counters in all series have been identified.

It is now possible to carry out the presentation of the selected numbersequence 20, for example in live TV, in such a way that the spectatorsmay get the impression that the draw, of bingo game character, occurs inthe moment of broadcasting.

The creation of number sequences 20 is carried out by means of a randomnumber generator in the computer. At first five lists of random numbers(one per column 11-15) are generated with random mutual order of thenumbers 1-15 in the first list, 16-30 in the second list, 31-45 in thethird list, 46-60 in the fourth list and 61-75 in the fifth list.Subsequently a random number between one and five is generated. Thisnumber selects the list of random numbers (column) from which the nextnumber shall be drawn. Then a suitable number in each of the five listsof random numbers is drawn by means of a new random number between 1-15for each draw. This random number between 1-15 points onto a position inthe previously arranged list of random numbers. In other words, the newrandom number between 1 and 15 in the column selected by the randomnumber between one and five corresponds to one of the fifteen positionsin that column. This position contains the number that shall be usednext in the number sequence. In this way the function of random numbersof the computer is used twice to obtain a drawn number. Furthermore itis provided that the order among the numbers generated is mixed, so thatnot all numbers from the same column appear consecutively, which mightappear non-randomly to the public. The distribution of numbers from thedifferent columns is done in an appropriate way in relation to thenumber of winners, for example a draw of three numbers in column 1, twonumbers in column 2, five numbers in column 3, one number in column 4and three numbers in column 5 give a total of 90 winners.

In this way each number sequence 20 is generated. The computer is nowused for going through and ascertaining on which lottery counters 10there is a horizontal line with five drawn numbers. If the number ofwinning counters corresponds to the given dividend this number sequence20 is accepted, in other case it is rejected. In this way acceptednumber sequences 20 are generated until the numbers form a statisticaldistribution number (i.e., a statistical distribution number refers to agroup of accepted number sequences which are large enough to bestatistically acceptable with regard to randomness in relation to thenumber of lottery counters in each series. If the group of acceptednumber sequences is not large enough, some numbers will not be presentin this group of number sequences and will therefore be excluded fromthe draw.) in relation to the number of lottery counters in each series.

After a completed lottery round the selected number sequence 20 iserased from the second register 19. A new number sequence 20 is insteadcreated in the above described way, so that before each lottery roundthere is always available the amount of number sequence 20 determined inadvance to select from.

The system according to the invention is very flexible and can easily beadapted to various average distributions of dividend.

The invention is not limited to the above described embodiments, butseveral variants are conceivable within the scope of subsequent claims.For example counters with more or fewer numbers than described above canbe used.

I claim:
 1. A method for drawing winners in a lottery with apredetermined prize dividend comprising the steps of:(a) providing aplurality of printed bingo type lottery tickets that are each providedwith a unique identification number and a unique counter comprising aquantity of different numbers arranged in rows and columns, the numbersarranged across each row being row number sequences that are played inthe lottery; (b) storing the identification number and the row numbersequences of each lottery ticket in a first register readable by amicroprocessor; (c) creating a plurality of drawing number sequences bymeans of a computer in such a way that each of the drawing numbersequences is unique and gives a selected number of prizewinning rownumber sequences among the counters on the plurality of tickets, whichselected number of prizewinning row number sequences corresponds to thepredetermined prize dividend; (d) storing said plurality of drawingnumber sequences in a second register that is readable by themicroprocessor; (e) selecting one number sequence of the plurality ofdrawing number sequences by a random draw among said plurality ofdrawing number sequences stored in the second register; (f) comparingthe selected number sequence by means of the microprocessor to the rownumber sequences stored in the first register; (g) identifying rownumber sequences whose numbers are comprised in the selected numbersequence by means of the microprocessor; and (h) presenting the selectednumber sequence.
 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein numbers inthe selected number sequences are presented one by one in abingo-manner.
 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the firstregister contains all possible different row number sequences.
 4. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein the first register contains aselected quantity of row number sequences.
 5. A method according toclaim 1, wherein the plurality of drawing number sequences in the secondregister comprises at least so many number sequences, that the numbersequences form a statistical distribution amount in relation to thequantity of row number sequences.
 6. A method according to claim 1,wherein each number sequence is created with consideration to thequantity of row number sequences, to the number of winners in thepredetermined prize dividend and to a required length of the numbersequence to indicate winning row number sequences.
 7. A method accordingto claim 1, wherein the ticket includes the numbers 1-75, arranged infive columns each with fifteen number positions, and wherein each numbersequence is created by means of the internal random number generator ofa computer, wherein first, second, third, fourth and fifth lists ofrandom numbers are generated to correspond to the five number columns inthe ticket, with random mutual order of the numbers 1-15 in the firstlist, 16-30 in the second list, 31-45 in the third list, 46-60 in thefourth list and 61-75 in the fifth list and wherein a random numberbetween one and five is generated, which random number selects fromwhich of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth lists of randomnumber the next number shall be drawn, that one to five numbers aredrawn in each of the lists of random numbers by means of a new randomnumber between 1-15 for each draw, which random number selects one ofthe number positions in the current list of random numbers, so that thisposition contains the number that shall be used in the number sequence.